Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-12
THE CASE OF HONG D1 REVIEWED.

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THE CASE OF HONG DI REVIEWED.
1t is inconceiyable how any intelligence
can find excuse for the monstrous outrage
a sworn juror i'll the Hong Di case at
tempted upon society in demanding that
the murderous wretch be set at liberty. |
Acquittal in the case would have amount |
ed to declaration that the defendant was
justified in the attempt he made TO mas
sacre an entire family.
The case is one not at all involved; in
deed palmer one could not well be
stated. A servant coming of a race which
holds human life lightly conceived the
idea, for some possible, but more likely
fancied grievance, of numbering hefamily
that had for many years afforded him en-
ployment entirely to his satisfaction, as he
constantly reiterated. In the absence ofthe
head of the household, he suddenly made
an assault, with weapon triple loaded,
upon the family as it sat at the evening
meal. The first shot brought down the
hired man, wounded the second killed
the matron of the family-a woman far
past middle life, and who had been the
benefactress of the murderer. A third shot
narrowly missed one of the Young daueh-
tiers of the mother then already dead.
The door being barricaded, after chasing
one of the girls about the building to shell
ter, the murderer seized an ak and attepmt
ed to batter it down. Evidently fearing the
approach of neighbors after so much
shooting, the wretch fled, and for two
weeks was in hiding and hunted by the
outraged community like wild beast
than which he was little more.
The murder occurred at a farmhouse in
sparsely-settled section, where there is
practically none of the protection afforded
the family which is the safeguard of the
home in towns and cities. No wonder
that the country people were aroused, and
that they hunted the wretch with almost
trenzied energy. Had they manifested
less spirit or feeling they would have de-
served the execration of men and the
loathlng of women. The murderer was
finally captured Probably that was an
outrage, if we are to accept certain views
projected in print since the elimination
of the lynching tragedy. 1t was nothing
that woman had been killed without
cause or provoeation, her children muir
derously assaulted and their male pro-
tector shot down. The Chinaman was
bounded" it is said, by hot-headed pur
suers, for whose heated indignation there
was, of course, nothing provocative,
and who should have so calmly
ordered themselves as to have awaited the
good pleasure of Hong Di.
When the author of the attempted
wholesale massacre was arrested, he suf-
fered no harm. He was jailed at Oroyille
without any threat from the outraged
communities in that section. He had the
personal advice and counsel of so shrewd
man as the Consul in California of the
Chinese Empire, who afforded him the
work up the ease, and these experts
were actually engaged for week previous
to the arrest in searching the country for
facts bearing upon the case. Their labors
appear to have been in vain and nothing
developed upon which to hinge the shadow
OF defense for the assassin. While in
JAN before his removal to Colusa, which no
one interfered with, he added new infano,
to his crime by fouIly and in writing
slandering the dead and blackening her
character with the darkest stain that can
attach to womanhood; and vet with
the strangest of Oriental inconsistency, pro-
testing that Mrs. Billion was a good
woman The cunning of the Mongol was
exempilhed by this declaration, however.
since he knew that his unsupported word
would count for nothing against the life
long reputation of the pure woman, whose
uprightness and virtue we're shining ex-
amples in her community. Hence it was
that while he charged her with moral de-
generacy and the foulest of infamies. in
the same breath he declared she was a
good woman.
He was brought to trial sitter reason
able lapse Of time-nearly two months.
The only living witnesses to his deed faced
INN and detailed the story Of his crime.
ihey were witnesses whose testimony no
man assails. The defendant took the
stand, and his sole defense vas that the
hired man, having threatened 20 kill |
hini-of which sworn denial was made
he determined to prevent that possibility
by shooting him from ambush. HAVING
done 50, he poked open the door with h;s
gun, and it was accidentally discharged
and killed Mrs. Billion. He accounted
for the third shot by saying it was in
tended for the wounded man and as for
battering in the door, he gave the singular
excise that, as the man was still alive, and
he had determined to kill him, he sought
jngress to finish the job. +
The defendant was tried before COM